Considering Adoption?   Should I put my baby up for adoption?

We are sure you are going through alot of emotions right now and hopefully after talking with your relatives, friends, social workers and maybe even by reading this, will help you decide what you would like to do.

Would you like a family with lots of love, pets, a stay at home mom, a self-employed dad and Christians that "practice what they preach"?

Would you like a family that would  take the time, patience and  love it takes to  homeschool your child ?      ( lots of socialization!)

Remember how nice it was and still is, to see little kids singing for the Lord in Sunday school or putting on a church play?

A family to teach them about negative peer pressure and all stuff going on today.

Parents that encourage lots of friends, sleepovers, pets?

Parents that take the time to get them on the softball team, soccer team and be there on the bleachers cheering them on no-matter how well they are doing?

Best of all........  How about a big sister that is 19 1/2 years ( biological)  and married ( no children ) that just loves children

and of course her new "little sister" Lydia. ( adopted )

Well above,  that's kinda us in a nutshell.   We have a nice large ranch style home, just waiting to make memories!
We have good morals, don't drink and don't curse.  We love children and are trying very hard to add to our wonderful loving family.  We attend church regularly where there are alot of great kids ( some adopted! ) and a wonderful bunch of people.
We consider them our family also.  They all just love our daughter Lydia, now 19 months and lavish
alot of attention on her by picking her up, playing, and chasing her down the hall.  She's a fast one. Just laughs and laughs and wants everyone to hold her, which of course everyone loves to hold a baby!

Our names are Linda and Joe.  We are middle age, ( linda has hit 40 and joe is 44 ) healthy and very active and just as important, EXPERIENCED. We both come from large families, Linda had many miscarriages in the past so we decided to adopt.  Linda is one of 6 kids and Joe is one of 4.  He has a sister and twin brothers.  Linda has 3 sisters and 2 brothers. Linda is Norwegian decent, and Joe is french, Indian, and English.  Joe has brown eyes and hair, 6 foot tall and large build.  Linda (me) is 5'4", blonde and green eyed.
We are finding such joy in raising our daughter Lydia.  In fact, she is not even considered adopted.  I ( linda) actually caught myself thinking about what I craved when I was pregnant with her!!  Sounds silly, but we love her and accept her as our own just that much!!
The joy it would bring to us and to lydia to have another child and a sibling for lydia would truly be a blessing.  Two times we came very close to adopting, within 3 weeks of birth, and for different reasons it fell through.  We just try to accept that it was not God's will to have that particular child.  Some day we will look at our next child if it happens, and could not imagine not having him or her in our lives.

Many people grow up as an only child and are very happy, in fact loved it.  I don't deny that, but I have never experienced it as
I am one in 6 children. I also know that we are "pet people".  My daughter allisen had every pet imaginable from mice, hamsters,
fish, guinea pigs and a bearded dragon lizard!  Oh, lets not forget the pot bellied pig "Charlotte" that we still have.
She also rode horses in the rodeo doing barrel races.  It was great fun for us and her.  I must admit, we did hold our breath alot when she was riding so fast and going around those barrels.

She knew so much about pets and computers that the pet store offered her a job at 14 years old.  Being homeschooled,

Well,  we also have 3 wonderful dogs ( one an adopted greyhound) and 5 cats.  One is Lydia's new kitten,
that we rescued.  We didn't want to name it as we didn't know if we were going to keep her.  I kept teaching the baby how to
pet the kitten and I would say "careful" , " Easy" over and over as I held her hand to pet the kitten.  Well one day about 2 weeks ago,
the kitten got a name....EASY!  Lydia was calling from her crib to the kitten in the other room.... Eeeeeaaaaassssssyyyyyy, over and over.
It was so cute you had to be there.  So now the kitten's name is EASY.  She is black and white and so cute.  The others were
all rescued or bottle fed from the vet ( they call me) and sometimes there is a kitten so cute I just have to keep it.
I am so glad that Joe loves me enough to put up with me and all my pets.  He loves them to.  He has even offered to help
bottle feed kittens.

 We live in Florida and have a few different attorneys we can work with.

The birthmother of  Lydia is a wonderful
woman that we still keep in contact with.  We felt her mixed emotions ( and ours ) as she went home from
the hospital "empty handed" .  Our hearts cried for her but she said she was OK and that that is what she wanted to do.
She said she chose us for alot of reasons but one of her reasons was that we were experienced in raising children and she wanted
someone like her mom to raise her child. What a compliment!!!

We had a "bogis" email set up and wrote to her often after the birth assuring her that her baby was doing wonderfully. We  sent her alot of pictures taken with the digital camera. This really helped her and made us feel alot better too.  It was the least we could do and had no problem with it.  It fact, it came natural to want to send her pictures and let her know  that all was fine.
 

 We talked with her and told her that the reason we did not want a FULL open adoption. ( not that she was asking for one )  was that we wanted to raise this child to the best of our ability and was really afraid of possible interference from any family member.   We just said, we will raise her  and when we feel the time is right, 18 or so, we will all come and find you and have a big reunion!!  A big cookout!  She said so sweetly, " Whenever you feel the time is right" .

We will keep our promise to her and our daughter Lydia and are looking forward to it one day.
 

 If you do not want any contact with us at all, we will respect that.  If in later years you decide you would like us to find you and reunite, just sign up with the attorney or he will direct you to the adoption registry.

Hopefully after reading this, maybe you will find a spot in your heart and mind that is considering us
as the type of family ( parents ) that you would like YOUR child to grow up in.

Remember, you gave the gift of life and made this baby, it came out of you!  We can't do that.  But we can have this baby grow in our hearts with more love than only YOU  know.   God bless you.
 
 

Linda & Lydia                                                                  Joe & Lydia                                             Allisen (front) & friend fooling around july 4th.

Allisen with another kitten a few years ago                    Joe & Lydia Working                                        Lydia Playing

Our new Kitten EASY                                    Lydia with Silly soap!                                              Lydia in window with EASY her kitten

Joe feeding bird at Sea World                             Linda's brother with Lydia                                     Allisen & lydia with "Sweet Pea" our bird

Lydia's first Birthday                                      Allisen and Lydia have the same Birthday!!                  Lydia with Bubbles, FUN!

                    Our bassinet                                                 Linda and Lydia@3mo.                Sarah ( exchange student from Switzerland ) and Linda last year.